A Small Change for Massive Parkside Development Planned in Ward 7

• December 9th 2016

by Nena Perry-Brown

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In Ward 7 between the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and Minnesota Avenue Metro station, a planned-unit development (PUD) was approved over a decade ago to create 1,500-2,000 residential units, approximately 750,000 square feet of office space and 50,000 square feet of retail. Now, developer CityInterests LLC has applied to modify the PUD application as it relates to one of the residential buildings in the PUD.

A mid-rise apartment building, designed by Grimm and Parker Architects, was previously approved for the site bound between Hayes Street and Parkside Place NE and Kenilworth Terrace and Classell Place NE (map).

Although a recalculation of the lot size will make the 6-7 story building’s footprint seem larger, its size will actually decrease, with the building height ranging from 64 feet, 8 inches and 81 feet, 4 inches instead of the originally-proposed 54 feet to 90 feet. The number of units will increase from 160 to 196, over 80 percent of which will be studios or one-bedrooms.

All of the apartments will be market-rate, as any inclusionary zoning requirements have been met elsewhere in the Parkside redevelopment. Rather than the 96 parking spaces previously submitted, there will be 90 vehicular spaces and 100 bicycle spaces on a semi-below-grade parking level.

The Office of Planning (OP) would like for the Zoning Commission to examine the application in a public hearing, citing the need for further details and refinement for various aspects of the proposal. OP’s report notes a desire for more foundation plantings along the building and more interesting coloration in the building’s facade, which is now primarily a red and dark brown brick building with some corrugated metal paneling. The applicant is also being asked to submit a traffic study and more detailed renderings and perspectives.

The Parkside redevelopment has already delivered a senior apartment building and a one-acre park, with townhouses for households earning between 80-120 percent area median income and a 100 percent affordable apartment building slated for completion by the end of the year. The overall remaining 15.5-acre development will eventually deliver a private charter school, a post-secondary education facility, a Unity Healthcare facility and additional apartments, office and retail space.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/second-stage_pud_filed_for_parkside_parcel/11960.